Informational only, not financial, tax or legal advice. Verify with the official source.
⏱️ · First published 2026-10-23
📈 Finance & stocks › Meta Q3 2026 earnings
Meta Q3 2026 earnings
By The Trends Incoming team
Meta's revenue jumped 26% to $64.6B, but a huge AI spending plan, negative free cash flow and a new nonvoting share class sent the stock down about 8%. The numbers that matter. Not investment advice.
What's trending in Meta Q3 2026 earnings
Meta Muse Wonder
Meta's first frontier model. Not open-weight this time, which is a big shift from Llama.
The quick version
Meta grew fast and spent faster. Revenue rose 26% to $64.60 billion in the third quarter of 2026, but the company lifted its 2026 capital spending plan to $135 to $145 billion, posted negative free cash flow and announced a new nonvoting Class C stock. Shares fell 7.84% to $648.85 on Thursday, October 22, per Sharecast.
| Revenue | $64.60B, up 26% |
|---|---|
| EPS | $3.83 including a $9.89B legal charge; $7.40 excluding it (Meta) |
| Q4 revenue guide | $73B to $76B |
| 2026 capex | $135B to $145B |
| Free cash flow | Negative $2.12B (CNBC) |
| New stock | Nonvoting Class C shares |
| Daily active people | 3.64 billion across apps |
| Headcount | 66,775 |
| Stock, Oct 22 | Down 7.84% to $648.85 (Sharecast) |
Why the stock fell
Investors liked the growth but balked at the bill. CNBC highlighted that free cash flow turned negative as AI data center spending climbed, and Reuters reported investors weighing growth in Meta's Muse AI against rising costs. Meta's drop helped push the Nasdaq to its worst day since June on Thursday.
What's the Class C stock?
Meta said it is creating a new class of nonvoting shares. In plain terms, they're shares that carry economic ownership without a say in shareholder votes. Details on how and when they'll be used are in Meta's release, so read the source before acting on headlines.
Stock mentions are for information only, not investment advice. See our trending stocks page for full disclaimers.
Keep reading
Follow the conversation
Quick answers
How much revenue did Meta make in Q3 2026?
$64.60 billion, up 26% from a year earlier.
What is Meta's 2026 capex forecast?
$135 billion to $145 billion, per Meta's third-quarter release.
Why did Meta stock drop after earnings?
Investors focused on soaring AI spending and negative free cash flow. Shares fell 7.84% on October 22, 2026, per Sharecast. This is not investment advice.
What is Meta's Class C stock?
A new class of nonvoting shares Meta announced with its Q3 2026 results.